Steam-engine.



No. 739,311 PA'fBfiTEDSBPT.22,1903;

STEAM ENGINE. I

.LPPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 20. 1901;.,

no udnnn.

wfizzeses v frwe rziaz ms nonms Packs 00.. wovc umou WAS'rHNGYON, n. z:v

' UNITED STATES l atented September 22, 190$;

LOUIS HICKS, or BAT vI-A, OHIO;

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,311,

dated September 22,1903.

Application filed September 20,1901 Serial No. 75,986. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be'it known that I, LOUIS HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Batavia, in the county of Olermont and State of Ohio,

5 have invented anew and usefullmprovement in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification; and I do declare it, together with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will ,enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved steam-engine of simple construe- I tion and economical operation in which condensation of the steam in the cylinder during admission and expansion is prevented and in which steam at high or low pressure may be used and the full expansive force of the steam obtained without loss or waste from condensation. I

J In the drawings like characters refer to the same parts.- i

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an englue-cylinder and itsoperative parts embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 a cross-section on line 0 L in Fig. 1.- 7

My improvement consists of an outside chamber A, preferably in the form of a cyl 3o inder, having a cylinder-head at each end a a,

a valve chest a a and cover a stuffingboxes a a a for piston-rod G and valve-rods a a and the steam-inlet passage a". The

outside cylinder A incloses two small inside 3 5 cylinders B 0, arranged with their longitudinal axes in the same line and parallel with the outside cylinder and held in place and supported by lugs a a on the cylinder-heads of the outside cylinder. (Any other device for holding them in position may be used.)

There is a continuous steam space D D D D around the inside cylinders and between them and the outside cylinder, connecting with the valve-chest a and extending across the out- 4 5 ward ends of the inside cylinders and between themand the heads of the outside cylinder and also extending between the inner ends of the' inside cylinders.

Theoutward ends I) c of the inside cylinders B C are open and connect with the livesteam space D D. The inward ends I) c of the inside cylinders are closed and are rigidly them, is a valve-seat E E, with a single steam.

port and passage for each inside cylinder 12 0 leading to the end of the cylinder nearest the Valve-seat port and with an exhaust port and passage 6.

The piston-rod G passes through the stuffing-box 0, in the outsidecylinder-head a, the steam-space D, the center of the inside cylinder B, and the stuflingbox F, connecting the heads or ends of the inside cylindersand has attached to it two piston-heads g g-one in I each inside cylinder. The piston-heads are so attached to the piston-rod that when in the stroke either piston-head is nearest to the head of its cylinder the other piston-head will be at its most distant point in the stroke from the head of its cylinder. Each piston-head is cut or hollowed out on the side farthest from its cylinder-head in order that the live steam in the open end of thecylinder may heat the face andrim of the piston and has a plain face on the opposite side.

The valve H is so arranged as to admit steam to the closed end of one inside cylinder while steam is being exhausted from th eclosed end of the other inside cylinder and is also so arranged asto be adjusted to cut off the admission of the steam at any desired part of the stroke. In the drawings 1 have used the Meyer valve; but any other valve accomplish ing the same results maybe used. All other parts of the engine usedin connection with my improvement are those'incommon use,

The method of operation'of"myimprovement is as'follows: The steam from the boiler is admitted through the inlet-pipe into the steam-spaces between the outside and inside cylinders and into the valve-chest, the open ends of the inside cylinders, and the space between the closed ends of the inside cylinders and heats'the cylinder-walls, passages,

heads of the inside cylinders, and the piston heads'to the temperature of the prime steam. lVhen they are so heated, the working steam admitted to the inside cylinders comes in 0011- tact with the surfaces of the steam-passages, and the piston and cylinder heads heated to its own temperature by compression and the conduction of heat to these surfaces through the metal from the live steam in contact with the opposite surfaces, and since the temperatures of these surfaces and the working steam are the same no condensation can take place. As admission continues to the point of cut-off and the piston advances, the working steam comes in contact with the surfaces of the inside cylinder-walls already heated to the temperature of the prime steam by com tact with the prime steam in the open end of the cylinder and by conduction of heat through the cyli nder-walls from the live steam surrounding the inside cylinders, and consequently during this period no condensation can occur.

Beneficial results can be obtained with steam in cylinder A of any degree of temperature above that of the exhaust; but it is preferable to use the steam at a temperature equal to or greater than that supplied to the cylinders B C.

After cut-off ..nd during expansion to the end of the stroke the working steam is in contact with surfaces heated by the prime steam to its own temperature, as above described, and these surfaces during expansion continue atahigher temperature than the temperature of the expanding steam, and therefore no condensation occurs during the expansion period; but, on the contrary, the tendency is to superheat the expanding steam. The steamsurfaces being heated and dry at the end of the stroke no loss of heat by re'vaporation, like that which occurs in the ordinary engine, will take place during exhaust.

The working steam (luring expansion and exhaust beingof lowertemperature than the surfaces inclosing it, will to a slight degree reduce the temperature of these surfaces at each stroke; but this slight loss of heat Will be restored each stroke to these surfaces by conduction of heat through the metal from the live steam in the spaces and by the live steam following the pistons through the open ends of the inside cylinders during the return stroke. This restoration of heat to the surfaces occurring after each stroke gives to the steam-surfaces the temperature of the prime steam for the admission and expansion of the next stroke and prevents a low range of temperature from being established, like that to which the working steam is subjected in the ordinary engine. Under this condition of admitting and expanding the steam in c011- tact with surfaces of an equal or higher temperature steam of any pressure may be used and expanded to any degree without loss from cylinder condensation. This restoration of heat to the working-steam surfaces by conduction of heat from the steam in the steam-spaces and by the live steam in the open ends of the cylinders will cause a corresponding condensation in the outside cylinder and open ends of the inside cylinders, and the water produced by this condensation, together with the water produced by condensation arising from radiation of heat from the outside cylinder, will have a temperature but slightly lower than that of the prime steam and will collect in the lowest part of the outside cylinder and will be returned to the boiler by a drain pipe or pump, and the heat contained in this water will not be lost.

The pressure on the piston-head of the live steam in the open end of the one inside cylinder being equal to and in an opposite direction to the pressure on the piston-hea d of the steam in the open end of the other inside cylinder is neutralized by this equal opposite pressure, and during the stroke the steam in the open end of one cylinder is readily transferred to the open end of the other cylinder through the spaces between the outside cylinder and the inside cylinders.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of application of my invention, this is capable of many variations without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be confined to this particular form of apparatus; but

iVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the cylinders; means for admission and exhaust for the closed ends of the cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of the cylinders; and means for admitting high-temperature steam to the open ends of the cylinders, substantially as specified.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the cylinders, mounted to take their operative stroke alternately; means for admission and exhaust for the closed ends of the cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of the cylinders; and means for admitting high -ten'1perature steam to the open ends of the cylinders, substantially as specified.

In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed and an open end mounted in alinement with each other with their closed ends adjacent; pistons in the cylinders, carried by a single pistonrod passing through the closed ends of the' cylinders; means for admission and exhaust for the closed ends of the cylinders; a steampassage connecting the open ends of the cylinders; and means for admitting hightem perature steam to the open ends of the cylinders, substantially as specified.

4c. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the cylinders; means for admission and exhaust for the closed ends of the cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the cylinders and forming a steam-space around them, substantially as specified.

5. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed inner and an open outer end; pistons in the cylinders; means for admission and exhaust for the closed ends of the cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the cylinders and forming a steamspace around them, substantially as specified. 6. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed inner and an open outer end mounted in alinement with each other with their inner ends adjacent, but having a space between them; pistons in the cylinders; "means for admission and exan open outer end mounted in alinement with each other with their inner ends adjacent, but having a space between tl'em; pistons in the cylinders; avalve andvalve-seat for the closed ends of the cylinders; and a chamber inclosingthe cylinders and forming a steam-space around them and the valve, substantially as specified. v 1

9. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed andan open end; pistons in the cylinders, hollowed out on one side; means for admission and exhaust for the closedends of the cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of the cylinders; and means for admitting hightemperature steam to the open'ends of the cylinders, substantially as specified.

10. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed and an open end; pistons in the cylinders, hollowed out on the inoperative side; means forad mission and exhaust for the closed ends of the cylinders; a steam-passage connecting the open ends of the cylinders; and means for admitting high-temperature steam to the open ends of the cylinders, substantially as specified.

11. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed and an open end pistons in the cylinders, hollowed out on one side; means for admission and exhaustfor the open ends of the cylinders; and a chamber inclosing .the cylinders and forming a steam-space around them, substantially as specified.

12. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having ahclosed inner and an. open outer end mounted inalineinent,

with each other with their inner. ends adjas cent, but having a space between them; pi s tons in the cylinders, hollowed out on one side; a valve and valve-seat for the cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the cylinders and' forming a steam-space around them and the valve, substantially as specified.

13. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed inner and an open outer end mounted in alinement with each other with their inner ends adjacent;

pistons in the cylinders, carried by a single piston-rod passing through the closed inner ends of the cylinders; means for admission and exhaust for the cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the cylinders and forming a steam-- space around them, substantially as specified, 14. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed inner and an open outer end mounted in alinement with eachother with their inner ends adjacent,

but having an open space between them; pis- 1 tons in the cylinders, carriedby a single piston-rod passing through the closed inner ends of the cylinders; means for admission and exhaust for the cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the cylinders and forming a steam- 1 space around them, substantially as specified. 15. In a steam-engine, the combination of two cylinders, each having a closed inner and an open outer end mountedin alinement with each other with their inner ends adjacent; pistons in the cylinders, carried by a single piston-rod passing through the closed innerends of the cylinders; a valve and valve-seat too for the cylinders; and a chamber inclosing the but having an open spacebetweenthem; pistons in the cylinders, carried by a single pis-- ton-rod passing through the closed inner ends of the cylinders; a valve and valve-seat forthe cylinders; and a chamber inclosingthe, cylinders and forming a steam-space around them and the valve, substantially as specified.

17. In a steam-engine, the combination'of two inside cylinders, each having a closed inner and an open outer endmountedin alinement with eachother with their inner ends adjacent, but having an open space between them; pistons. in the cylinders, carried byga single piston-rod passing through a stuffingbox mounted between the closed inner ends of the inside cylinders; a valve and valveseat for the inside cylinders; and an outside cylinder inclosing the inside cylinders and" forming a steam-space around'the inside cyls.

,inders and the valve, substantially as'speci fied. Y

. LOUIS HICKS. Witnesses: l

W. M. BROOKE,

'W. A. HICKS. 

